UConn Recruit Michael Nebrich And His Email... From BC

First, I reached out to the Lake Braddock (Va.) quarterback - and the Huskies first Class of 2011 recruit - to see what he was up to because I had heard he may try to get to UConn early. I wanted to confirm if he was in fact trying to get to Storrs in January - like it seems quarterbacks are trying to do lately.

And sure enough the 6 foot 1, 190-pound Nebrich is taking English 12 online courses right now to help him reach that goal. That is, between a lot of 7-on-7 work on the field.

"I just want to get up there as fast as I can, get with [offensive coordinator] Coach [Joe] Moorhead and be ready to compete in the spring," Nebrich said a few minutes ago.

Nebrich is supposed to be nice too, another one of those dual threat types to fit the new system. Kid threw for 220 yards a game and rushed for over 1,200 last year.

I'm wondering if that's why he received an email from a Boston College assistant football coach, which sounds like, in part, a negative recruiting move well after his commitment to UConn?

"I got an email from one of the BC assistant coaches who wasn't too happy about my commitment," Nebrich said. "He told me stuff like the UConn coaching staff isn't going to be there in January. I called up Coach Moorhead and Coach [Randy] Edsall and told them about it and asked them and they told me that was absolutely ridiculous and reassured me they'd be there."

(I'm going to drop my 'Wow!' right about here, folks, if that's allright).

"It definitely surprised me coming from another school especially the assine way they did it." Nebrich said. "Like I said, after talking to the coaches, I'm not really worried about it."

No but this is still troubling (the only reason you're seeing this this late in the day folks is because I wanted to try to get a comment from Edsall or somebody; or see where this is going if anywhere. I should have known before I set out on that course I wasn't going to get anything on recruiting from the guy or anybody else up there).

This was the first time I spoke to Nebrich but really there's no reason for him to be dishonest so I'm taking him at his word knowing a lot - not all - of what goes on in the world of recruiting.

Simply put, it can be an ugly mess.

I'll say if there's documentation out there verifying what Nebrich said - the email - then code of ethics people - probably AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) - could see it in their hands.

What happens then? Who knows. Nothing in terms of infractions. The NCAA turns its back on stuff like this here but keep in mind Nebrich hasn't signed his letter of intent so technically he is not a Husky yet but once a kid commits to a school that's kind of what you're telling the world.

Still, we know, some coaches play on after the whistle is blown - don't we?

I have to say I'm a little surprised at BC. And yes, I'm taking the kid's word. I don't doubt it for a second. I guess one way to look at this is, boy UConn sure has come a long way when BC has to try to steal their recruits after they're committed.

You could look at the bigger picture here too in that this is a wonderful example of why and how offering scholarships as early as these coaches do can create huge problems for people.

I wonder if Xavier-Middletown's Graham Stewart has been told the UConn coaches won't be around in January? BC is among his top two choices now.

DC

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126 Comments

Those jerks at BC already have a quarterback committed, he had offers from Stanford and Nebraska... and they're trying to steal our big recruit? No way! Nebrich already turned down the likes of James Madison and Ohio to join our powerhouse! I have to admit, though, sometimes I too have dreams about BC calling to sweet talk me.

4. Negative recruiting is a serious breach of ethics by any coach. In discussing the advantages of his institution, the coach must confine his statements to an honest and forthright presentation of the facts. Derogatory and/or slanderous statements about other institutions, its coaches, administrators, or players cannot be accepted. The image of our association can be further enhanced only by coaches who understand and commit their actions to observing this concept.

Now, yes there is the possibility that Edsall and Crew may depart for a "better" job if they do well this year,but the same can be said for almost any coach and it is by no means the place of any coach to use that insinuation as a recruiting tool...

4. Negative recruiting is a serious breach of ethics by any coach. In discussing the advantages of his institution, the coach must confine his statements to an honest and forthright presentation of the facts. Derogatory and/or slanderous statements about other institutions, its coaches, administrators, or players cannot be accepted. The image of our association can be further enhanced only by coaches who understand and commit their actions to observing this concept.

BC already has a highly-rated QB recruit named Christian Suntrup who chose BC over offers from schools like Nebraska and Stanford. After they secured the commitment months ago, they stopped recruiting other highly-rated QBs such as Kevin Hogan. So now I am to believe that they're mucking around with some QB named Michael Nebrich who has only one D1 offer?

And...if such an email occurred...why wasn't it printed here? Instead, the story was intentionally presented as hearsay. This wreaks of crappy journalism.

DC- Doesn't it sound like BC suddenly is feeling threatened by UCONN and the rest of the Big East? If this is the type of thing they have to do to get players then, that's really sad. No wonder BC won't play UCONN (aside from AD issues) they're afraid they won't be able to guarantee a win.

1) BC is not listed as involved with Nebrich by either Rivals or Scout

b) BC has a commitment from Christian Suntrup and appears to be done at the QB position

iii) Head Coach Randy Edsall has been desperately searching for coaching jobs like Desmond Conner is desperately searching for a good spelling/grammar check program

And we're supposed to believe the the BC coaches are trying to bad mouth UConn to pry away a kid they don't want? I have no idea why the kid would make this up (to influence Stewart, maybe?), but unless the kid produces this email (those are easy to save and distribute), maybe all the sycophants around here should take it with a grain of salt.

Why won't you post the email? Sounds like fiction especially with BC already having a QB in this class and plenty of depth at that position. Your obsession with BC is scary. Funny that Graham Stewart has dropped UCONN from his Top 2 and then you make up a story to slam BC's recruiting and coaches. Truly rotten journalism.

The BC fans are coming out of the wood work. I hope you're able to show this email Des, so we can all throw it at their faces. BC fans are so full of themselves that its sickening. I love my hate for that school.

I talked to him today and told me UConn is not among his top two choices and I'm just crushed. I mean I am crushed. I had to do something to deter this kid from having Boston College as one of his top two schools.

What could I do?

How about if I call Michael Nebrich and tell him I'm making up a story and to play along? He's a kid I've never met or talked to before but he was game to play along.

Those aren't his quotes Upstater1. You know I made those up. Dam you're good. Anyway, I made up the story and the quotes because I was upset with Graham Stewart's decision.

Your threats mean nothing to me. I'm entitled to my opinion just like you're entitled to your opinion. And, it's my opinion that this is lazy journalism. You can insult your readers all you want but it's not gonna change my opinion that it's weak-sauce for a writer for a semi-major newspaper to print something like this while intentionally neglecting to provide the reader with the evidence that proves it.

As I stated in my original comment, I'm skeptical that BC would spend their time continuing to recruit this particular QB when they've already stopped recruiting many others since the Suntrup commit, particularly since they've been telling him all along that he'd be the only QB in the class. If they reneged on that promise, they'd risk losing Suntrup. This is not simple-minded; it's an opinion to which I'm fully entitled. If you don't like it, I don't know what to tell you, bud.

This type of recruiting is part of the game, but that doesn't make it right. You're just as naive as you accuse me of being if you think Calhoon and even Edsall are saints on the recruiting trail, but I don't see you printing articles about that. That all being said...if your/Nebrich's allegations are correct, then BC should be ashamed.

Your hostility is noted.

Nick

P and S: There's a typo in the second to last sentence of your comment.

I'll call the kid a liar and just trying to garner some attention. BC got top QB recruits last year with Rettig who BC took from Lane Kiffen and Suntrip this year. BC said they werent looking for any other QB's after Suntrip committed and I know he wasnt in their list of top 5 QBs when they started. BC also never offered and according to the Washington Post:
Nebrich said he had offers from James Madison, Towson, Marshall, Ohio and Miami of Ohio. He took visits to most of those schools and never mentioned BC before.

I dont know whats up but to call a BC coach assinine sounds like sour grapes.

I once received an email from a dude in Nigeria and he gave me $5 million for just moving some of his money around. I don't have it anymore, but I could go into Outlook and create one that looks just like it, maybe add a professional looking logo and stuff. You want $5 million too? Did I mention I'm Batman? Don't show anyone this comment though, I don't want my identity revealed.

Maybe I'm too far removed from reality, but I thought that stuff like this happens all the time and is just part of the business. Negative recruiting is almost as old as some other nameless profession, particularly in basketball, isn't it?

Desmond,
Could you possibly be less professional?
It doesn't matter if you made it up or Nebrich did.
Shouldn't you have to prove these allegations?
A real journalist would have 2 sources.
Too bad Coach Edsall wouldn't play along.
Once again, you're representing yourself poorly.
Obviously you have a credibility issue here.
Lose the attitude and do your job.

This just does not add up. Who is Michael Nebrich anyway as BC has not offered him? Firstly, what recruit goes to a paper and reports that "an assistant coach" at another university sent them a scathing e-mail? Secondly, I would find more credibility if the coaching staff reported this to the media than a two star dual threat quarterback. Also, with offers out to Torrey Campbell and Tanner McEvoy at the athlete position, why would they try and chase after Nebrich? Also, to your challenge to Nick above, you demonstrate that clearly you have no idea what goes on in any program outside of Storrs, CT, which is fine. That's your puppy and you should continue to placate to their fans. Just do not act like you know what happens up in Chestnut Hill. BC brought in two quarterbacks last year (Rettig and Bordner), two the year before (Shinskie and Marscovetra), and promised Suntrup that they would only recruit him. Also, Nebrich does not fit into a pro style offense as a dual threat quarterback.

Finally, the crappy journalism part may have to do with the lousy format and the multiple typos that exist in the article. I thought this is what you do for a living? Punctuation goes inside parentheses and the word is ethics, not ethcs. If you can't proofread, how can anyone believe what you are writing is accurate?

Des, I can honestly say you're a stand-up guy and professional. I have found your writing to be accurrate and honest. Nick's comments are a reflection of his naivety, stupidity, and fear of UConn's success. Nick and the rest of the BC community is afraid that UConn will pass BC in football, just like hoops 20 years ago.

C'mon Mr. Conner. Story is just not credible.
1) BC has 2 QB's who are sophs and 2 that are incoming frosh. Onc of the incoming frosh is a very highly rated California kid who chose BC over Tennessee.
2) BC, therefore, needed only one QB in this class and got a commit about 2 months ago from Suntrup from Missour who is highly ranked and chose BC over Nebraska, Missouri and Stanford. They told the other highly rated QB they were courting, Hogan from DC, that they were done.
3) BC prefers taller QB's and will consider 6'1" guys only if they are top national recruits. Self-reported 6'1" recruits have a funny way of becoming 5'11"+ when you actually measure.
4) Some kid who has never been mentioned as being involved with BC by Scout or Rivals recruiting services comes up with a story to make himself look more desirable. Mr. Conner bites on the hook and ends up looking silly.

Despite all of the above, RE has unquestionably interviewed for other jobs each of the last 3 years and certainly will again this year if he has the chance. I'd love to discuss whether this is negative recruiting at all but there is no need since it did not happen. Is it 'negative recruiting' for example to say that Joe Paterno is old? It's just the truth.

Wait a minute....are you telling us that BCU, a prestigious, above the board Catholic institution, would partake in unethical activity? I'm shocked....SHOCKED....to hear someone dare to impugn the integrity of the great BCU. I find these allegations very hard to believe given their track record.

Welcome to the 21st century DC. Negative recruiting happens all the time. Bottom line, a verbal commitment is non-binding. If a kid tells the coach listen, I'm not interested and the coach persists, that's shameful. But too think that UConn doesn't keep calling recruits after they've committed, or once in a while try to negative recruit, is being incredibly naive.

"We learned everything we need to know about BCU ethics a couple of years ago - they have none.

And since all commitments are verbal, BCU could easily be trying to string Nebrich along in case Suntrup gets poached from BCU by a big time school.

There are plenty of reason to believe this story. The most convincing is BCU's history as lying backstabbers."

If this guy was living in the south he'd still be holding a grudge against the north. Look, from an outsider perspective it was hilarious seeing all the Big East fans try and position their schools into conferences if the Big East was poached during the recent conference expansion, and no, it is not over yet. It's been six years, time to find a hobby and concentrate on your school and not what another school did. Afterall, didn't BC, Miami and VT leaving the conference make it stronger?

Agreed. It happens all the time but try not to get into my head. And your right again about the non-binding commitment but I have never, ever said "UConn doesn't keep calling recruits after they've committed." I would never say that. I don't see the phone bills. What I will say is that no one has made a claim like that to me or I would report it but I would need proof to know what I'm writing is true; just like I needed and heard proof to write what I wrote about Nebrich.

Desmond, you’re so quick to jump down people’s throats when they question you, but let’s look at the facts here. You’re the one who is now putting out publicly some pretty nasty allegations concerning the BC coaching staff, and you’re basing those allegations on the word of some kid that you never talked to before in your life before he told you this?

Seriously? That’s good and proper journalism?

What happened to fact checking?

What happened to checking sources?

This should not have seen the light of day on this blog if you didn’t have the e-mail in hand. And if the kid can’t produce that e-mail then he should be out telling reporters this story, simple as that. That you fell right into playing his game proves just how naïve you are.

Let me ask you, if some UConn recruit that you had never talked to before in your life told you the first time he talked to you that he got a letter from the president of Rutgers telling him Greg Schiano was going to be fired on Oct. 3, 2010, would you print that story too simply based on some kid telling you? Based on the fact that you did it with this, I don’t see why you wouldn’t.

‬This is another instance of Desmond Conner playing UConn football (Randy Edsall) fan first and responsible journalist second. How much do the Boneyard folks pay you to make this stuff up?

1. Nebrich has lousy scholarship offers, wants an offer from BC, only gets a D1 offer from UConn.
2. Nebrich accepts offer from UConn.
3. Nebrich is still upset that he had to commit to such a third-rate school. He makes up a story to make it look like he's still being hotly pursued by an ACC school in hopes that Maryland or WVU (who are actually linked to him on a recruiting website, unlike BC).
4. Nebrich tells this story to a naive UConn blogger, who posts it as fact.

mmmm. No, it's not true that I'm quicj to jump down people's throats when they question me - just when they don't know what they're taliking about and think they do.

I think nasty allegation for this is too strong and being a BC fan you know all about nasty allegations.

And yes, I believe the kid. Who said I didn't fact check? Who said I didn't talk to sources. Your problem is you want to see the email. And until you see that you discredit me and my work and the kid.

That's what the kid gets for telling the truth and that's what I get for printing it.

Don't pull Rutgers into this. We're talking about Boston College and what one of its assistant coaches did. It's not a major deal Rich. You don't have to believe me. You have no reason to but trust me it happened.

There's the "he's writing to create a buzz for himself" comment. Let's lump this one with the typical BC rant "oh he's just trying to get hits on his blog because he doesn't get any unless he talks about BC"

Matty should only be used for the great Matty Ice you guys had. That was one classy kid. Did a few stories on him. I don't recall anyone up there talking about my journalism then...

You really got handled here. You made it appear as if you really had the email, you got called on it and now at least you are backing off and admitting you don't have it. (Unless I missed some sarcasm.) In your original write-up you mentioned taking the kid at his word, as you have mentioned a few times subsequently...this would infer that you do not actually have a physical (email) document in front of you...good luck finding it.

Desmond, firstly kudos to you for posting my and other BC fans comments. I am sure you are very good at what you do, however it just does not add up and there are too many holes in this kids story. I am not going to knock the kid as I hope he has a long and successful career at UConn and gets his degree. However, the same coaching staff did not take this philosophy of negative recruiting with BJ McBryde and Jonathan Louis last year at a position of crucial need. How about Dwayne Difton, a highly rated WR prospect that BC definitely wanted. How about Jimmy Bennett and Jordan Todman, two highly decorated football players who woukld have fit into BC's system nicely. Don't you think you should ask yourself if the story adds up before I report it? What if this kid was the victim of a hoax or if he was bitter that a coach at a school promised him an offer but then recanted and this whole thing was made up?

Now, if the NCAA admonishes my university for this, then that is a whole different story. It just seems as though your passion for hating BC came out in this letter and Nebrich was the instrument.

Well, when did I do that Andrew? Or did you think I had it? I'm not backing off it and to be clear: A BC assistant coach sent an emall to UConn recruit Michael Nebrich. In that email, among other things, the assistant coach said some things about the UConn staff not being around in January.

Where am I backing off. I stand by that statement.

I really think people should stop wasting their time trying to discredit me, the kid or the email. I don't have the email. I never said I had it. I know it exists though.

If you don't mind, as we go forward, I just need to make sure you and BC fans who come here are clear on a couple things.

No.1: I hate that Gene D. lied to me a few years ago about BC being Big East partners and not going to the ACC. It's not because I cared of BC stayed or it went. I just really and truly hate being lied to - by anyone. It's not fair. I don't lie to anyone simply because of the obvious: what if I get caught?

No.2 I hate the fact BC let Al Skinner go. I mean I was sick over it. He was a a good man and a good coach and the folks up there who let him go are going to be sorry.

No.3 None of it means I have a passion for hating BC. I do not. And I don't see how you saw a passion for hating BC in that email. And don't say I used the kid. Some of this stuff people are sending in I can deal with but that's really insulting. I would never do that to a kid. Never.

Now, I will say the whole situation is weird but those who think this stuff doesn't happen all the time are really naive. It's just more of a firestorm than it should be because it involves neighboring schools with plenty of fans who have a genuine dislike for each other.

And of course, some will say, I didn't provide the proof but I'll tell you what I am going to do and that's call AFCA every week to see if a complaint has in fact come which, you know, it could.

DC, just answer us 1 question (since you're playing the reasonable guy now):
- Why would BC be chasing this kid so hard? Why do you think BC is involved with his recruitment when it has never been published or rumored anywhere else?

However, if we look at your last paragraph, "And of course, some will say, I didn't provide the proof but I'll tell you what I am going to do and that's call AFCA every week to see if a complaint has in fact come which, you know, it could," you mention could, not would/will. What is going to happen if the accusation which you wrote about are wrong and there is no truth to them. How does that affect your credibility?

Al Skinner is/was a very well respected coach in the community, and under no circumstance am I, nor anyone else, going to change your opinion on Gene or the handling of his dismissal. However the basketball program is stagnant and a change needed to be made. For better or for worse the two split. Everyone up here wishes Al the best and are thankful for where he has taken the program.

With regards to the conversation with you and Gene back when BC was being courted by the ACC, there are only two people who know what went on there, and my opinion is irrelevant and more than likely wrong.

I guess the uproar from the BC fans has to do with before something goes into print, the facts should be 100% accurate and corroborated.

I don't have the email. I'm trying to get it but I may not. Anybody who knows me and knows the work I do wouldn't even question whether or not it's true but I realize we're talking BC here and I have no credibility with those people. That's mainly because I don't write anything favorable about them.

Harmon: It doesn't matter to me if I get the email or not. I mean I've told you what happened. If you want to believe me cool. If you don't? Cool.

We can go back and forth all we want here but a kid said something he got an email from a BC assistant coach, right? I would expect if none of this is true BC may say something to the contrary. I'd love to see that.

Taking a step back, I believe that you and your critics should both be criticized in this instance.

1) Why pursue Edsell to comment on this, when you could just ask for the email? Coaches cannot comment on recruits, right? You should have insisted on the production of the email before running with the story regardless of whether you believed the kid. There is too much opportunity to get burned.

2) On the other hand, I will not just dismiss the claims you have chosen to publish as some might. It is absurd to just dismiss the possibility that BC would have no interest in this guy, even if there is evidence that BC does not need another QB recruit.

BC has a history of getting guys under the radar and helping turn them into great players. Look at who they have had through the years: Matt Hasselbeck, Brian St. Pierre, Doug Flutie, Glenn Foley, Chris Crane, Tim Hasselbeck etc. Matt Ryan was a three star recruit. I doubt any of them were "five star recruits." Regardless, I think all of them have played for an NFL team with Matt Hasselbeck outplaying Big Ben in the Super Bowl. Perhaps, BC has some interest; perhaps not. I have no idea. The point is it is irresponsible to assume anything.

3) In the end, the tone and slant of the article are simply not fair. Isn't national letter of intent day sometime in February 2011? Thus, these "commitments" could evaborate at any time. BC lost "a top 100" recruit who supposedly committed by changed his mind and signed with Michigan State. It happens. Don't act like it is dishonest or improper to try to convince someone to change their mind before signing day.

Finally, cut out the stuff that tries to make BC look bad. It really backfires on you. I have complemented you in the past, but, in my opinion, you really have a weakness for trying to knock BC that tarnishes your reporting.

"I wonder if Xavier-Middletown's Graham Stewart has been told the UConn coaches won't be around in January? BC is among his top two choices now."

Yeah...this has nothing to do with you being butt-hurt over Graham Stewart spurning UConn. Be careful, you are trying to pimp UConn to Stewart so much that the NCAA might just have to take a look at you.

At some point I'm hoping this thinking settles in but again we're dealing with a different pack here and common sense doesn't always play out but "if the guy is lying or the reporter is a phony why is still here vigorusly responding to every comment - still - and standing by what he wrote?"

You can question my credibility all you want but the bottom line the email exists and this folks, is a true story. It happened.

DC- Face it the BC fans are just mad because their program is not what they want it to be in the ACC. Besides if their program is so wonderful, why are they spending so much time on UCONN football related blogs. Oh yeah, and we all know that since the kid isn't listed on the recruiting sites that there's no way BC might be interested in him.

Uh, Andrew? Where do you get that Desmond Conner is a UCONN fan? Might want to click on his bio, my friend.

If what is being said is true, that BC coach should be ashamed of himself. Way to be classy. If you want to say anything, why not just say "Sorry you did not choose BC, good luck at UCONN". Leaves a lasting impression on a kid, and if he ever does waver, he might remember just how classy you were.

I also find it silly how much faith BCU fans have put in the recruiting sites. I bet you they believe the number of stars next to a recruits name is all that matters. You know, I'll bet they won't play Uconn because they couldn't handle risk of getting beat by Mass. players they missed on. Oh, if only Jordan Todman had more stars next to his name...........

First to answer your question:
Of course it would be naive to think that because something wasn't rumored, it couldn't have happened. However, I think that common sense would say that this is very doubtful.
First, BC does not recruit this kind of quarterback anymore.
Second, the various recruiting services are far from perfect, but they usually do a good job of listing who is recruiting which kid. The way they do it is by talking to the prospect and/or his parents and coaches. Apparently, none of them ever mentioned that BC was recruiting him.
Third, while I do think that schools often keep recruiting backup prospects when they say they're done at a position, there is strong evidence that BC backed off its other top QB prospects after getting Suntrup.

So while we can't know 100% that BC wasn't involved, it seems highly unlikely. Do you dispute the facts above?

Now let me ask you another question, as you offered. Did you reach out to the BC coach who supposedly did this to try to confirm the story?

If you didn't, I think that's absurdly negligent. You shouldn't write stories alleging bad behavior by a party without giving them the chance to respond. If you did reach out, at a minimum you should mention in the story that one of 4 things happened: 1) BC didn't respond; 2) BC declined to comment; 3) BC rejected the account; or 4) BC admitted it did this.

So to those that think Des is "butt-hurt" about Graham Stewart not having UConn as his #1 anymore

Have you read his bio?

I'm guessing not, since in said bio you would find the following...

"While he is a devout Syracuse football and basketball fan, Desmond is more a fan of people, the athletes and coaches he comes across."

So if Desmond is as unprofessional as many of you seem to make him out to be, why would a Syracuse fan get upset that Syracuse and BC got moved higher than UConn on this kid's list?

You all do realize he's only worked on this beat for about 2 years, and in that time has brought Edsall and his coaching staff to task on a few occasions. He is by no means a "Homer"

I have every confidence in the work Des does, and he obviously is way above the many in these comments that have felt the need to obscure their identity by posing as UConn "fans" while the whole time being obviously BC fans.

It seems that BCU fans have sacrificed logic for the sake of their holy argument and forgotten that Michael Nebrich is an dual-threat quarterback and could transition to a number of other positions. A fact that neither the staff at Uconn or BCU would have overlooked.

You see, it's comments like these that just kill your credibility. Whether you have some sort of anger about BC is irrelevant. You're a professional and your goal should be to maintain at least an appearance of impartiality and credibility at all times. Snarky attacks on an institution you just alleged has recently had some underhanded dealings with a recruit is just bad business.

Wow so let me get this. Dez reports info he received from a UConn recruit that stated BC coaching staff sent him a letter stating the UConn staff won't be there in January. Do you truly think this does not happen in college football recruiting. Please this happens more than you would like to know. But stick your head in the sand and believe that it doesn't happen at a school like BC.

BC fans have much thinner skin than I thought. What I have read on here just proves it.

Continue to enjoy the ACC where your team and school are treated ever so well...

I love the one comment about "ethics" -- assuming for the sake of argument this was a reference to BC's move to the ACC years ago, not sure what the problem is? Are schools not allowed to leave conferences?

This is funny for a number of reasons.
1. BC has Chase Rettig and Christian Suntrup but we want a kid with no offers and hasn't garnered any interest from us this whole time so bad were going to negative recruit. Makes a lot of sense.
2. BC stopped recruiting Kevin Hogan from DC who recently commited to Stanford over Virginia,Rutgers,Clemson,Maryland,among others to recruit this kid. Makes a lot of sense.
3. We told Suntrup he would be the only QB and we are going to risk losing him because we lied to him to go after this guy. Makes a lot of sense.
4. This comes out after Graham Stewart drops UCONN. Now thy makes a lot of sense.

This is a classic case of sour grapes. Kid wanted an offer didn't get it and now wants to make BC look bad. Nothing to see here.

If you know Coach Edsall at all, he has already contacted Mr. Nebrich and asked him not to comment or contribute anything further to this story. The coach has also certainly started looking into the situation himself.

Long story short: it looks like Dez is going to have to do some serious digging to get a hold of that email now.

So where does that leave us UConn and BC fans? Stuck together on a blog, yapping at each other like dogs through a chain-link fence until the hard evidence arrives.

This seems like a non-issue. Even if some unnamed BC assistant did this, so what? NCAA recruiting rules are so strict that anything that doesn't violate those rules and could, at worst, be considered untoward or unethical is hardly worth commenting on. You think a rival SEC coach might have commented to a recruit also considering Tennessee that they are on their third head coach in three years and that there might be some instability there? Of course they did, and that could be considered "negative recruiting" in the same light as these alleged comments by the BC assistant coach.

Also, the "BC fans are arrogant" refrain is very tired. BC fans, by and large, respect UConn as a program that has made great progress in the last decade. But a decade of progress does not match what the BC football program has done for the past 130 years. Is BC on the same level as USC? No, but it's not on the same level as UConn either.

Dez, keep up the good work, never mind the trolls. Kind of funny for a fan base whose program is supposedly operating at a higher level than UConn's feel the need to stop by here. We should feel privileged to be graced by their lofty presences, eh?

I love how they somehow have inside knowledge of exactly what happened between Nebrich and the BC staff - pretty impressive access I guess. They already know what was and was not in the emails... hey wait a minute! They must have hacked into BC's email servers to keep tabs on BC's recruiting.

Either that, or they're going with their gut. Like Stephen Colbert said, there are more nerve endings in your gut than in your brain. (Don't look it up, just feel it in your gut that it's true). Gut says - BC's assistants would never badmouth another school just for the sake of getting recruits, therefore Nebrich is making it up, DC is not a real journalist and the moon landing was faked. Perfectly logical! Either way, no need to sweat, our friends already know the conclusion so we can rest easy... Phew that's a load off my mind!

Wow. Just got back from playing nine in Colorado and there are sixty one comments about an email, mostly penned in the greater Boston area.

DC, as an everyday reader of this blog and the published articles in the Hartford Courant, I applaud you for you continued professional journalism. I appreciate the way that you have continued unbiased reporting (as a KNOWN SYRACUSE FAN) on the team that I care about.

As far as this particular instance is concerned, I hope that, in time, all the facts come to light. Until then, all the best, and keep up the good work.

-Matt

PS-Despite my Grandpa being an All-Eastern/All-American center for BC football in the thirties, I despise the present team for it's ego-maniacal fan base. Hopefully sometime in the future, our "third-rate" program will settle this dispute on the gridiron.

Your treatment of your readers here is simply unprofessional, there’s no other way to put it.

Your response to me, “being a BC fan you know all about nasty allegations.”

First off Mr. Conner, I’m not even close to a “BC fan”. I’m actually a UConn fan. Actually, a UConn student. I’m actually a young black male journalism student who used to look up to as a role model. I first read you as a fan and I didn’t see the difference. Now, as someone learning the objectives of good journalism, I’ve realized what you do is skewed, mostly in favor of the UConn program. Your bias is absolutely transparent, you can’t even hide it any more.

That said, what you consider “good journalism” is very sadly lacking sir. You wrote “just like I needed and heard proof to write what I wrote about Nebrich.”

Heard proof? Heard proof? Since when does the word of a teenage football player stand as “proof”? Are you serious?

I know you won’t have the courage to answer this question, as you didn’t have the courage to answer the question in my first comment.

If "Joe UConn Recruit" called you tomorrow and said “Mr. Conner, I know that "Bob BC Assistant" is an axe murderer and he kills puppies.” Would you write that? I mean, would it not be proof if it came from the mouth of a recruit?

Again, I won’t hold my breath waiting for your response. What’s going on here is sad. You’ve destroyed good journalism when it comes to the coverage of the UConn football team by the state’s largest newspaper. You should be ashamed and sad.

"Now, I will say the whole situation is weird but those who think this stuff doesn't happen all the time are really naive. It's just more of a firestorm than it should be because it involves neighboring schools with plenty of fans who have a genuine dislike for each other."

If negative recruiting "happen(s) all the time", why is this newsworthy? I would not be surprised if every kid at every program can tell similar stories and am quite certain that every coach at every program engages in similar conduct on a regular basis. Based on your comments, you apparently feel the same.

However, what makes you are target of those claiming anti-BC bias is your holding BC out for public ridicule for a common practice.... claiming they should be "ashamed" for recruiting the same as everyone else... saying that their unremarkable conduct will be a factor you will use to convince a Connecticut recruit NOT to go there (which is a form of negative recruiting you are campaigning against).

This would be like posting an article on a perfectly smart kid (non-athlete) who didn't get accepted to UConn, but a much less acedemically qualified student like Jordan Todman did. Yeah... it ain't pretty... and is kinda sad... but taking bigger academic risks on athletes is something so commonplace on college campus it isn't a story (unless you are just trying to paint the subject in a poor light for personal reasons).

If you are saying that you believe this kid and there was some kind of improper conduct by a BC coach, then I believe you. You havent lead me wrong and have always been very truthful about your reporting. I look forward to you getting said email to further point out this misconduct. When responding to these BC fans, dont let them bait you. They are trying to get you fired up and react because they are fearful that something might have actually happened to their perfect little school. I love the fact that many of the BC fans who have posted are using the excuse that just because BC didnt recruit him, he is now mad and making up lies. Why in the blue hell would this kid want to do this. This would hurt his reputation at UConn more than anything and teach his coaches not to trust him. This is completely untrue. Many of you BC fans are so disconnected from reality and think that you have the best program that everyone wants to go to. While you are def. getting better players than UConn, dont flatter yourselves. Your program is kinda like Notre Dame..floundering to get back to your glory days and living in the past. Get over it. Dont think for a second that your coaches would never do something like this. Just because it wasnt listed on Rivals that BC wasnt going after this kid, doesnt mean that they actually werent. I can totally see a BC coach getting pissed off that they lost out on a recruit to UConn..the little step child to the southwest. Please do not come on this blog and spew your crap and threaten the credibility of DC. He has taken coverage of this program from nothing to something. We are growing along with the program. We may not be Boston and have all this great coverage but get over yourselves. Too bad this matchup will never happen again...so much animosity!

Can you start prefacing your rants with your overall agenda so readers won't get this confused with an article with factual substance? You love UConn, and hate Boston College. As a BC fan I have no problem with that, I just think you should put it as a disclaimer somewhere so people understand where you are coming from. If you just created this debacle of an article to generate hit count, well I guess you succeeded.

To all the posters (and reporters) commenting on the "arrogance" of BC fans:

If this allegation were made by Graham Stewart, I would be surprised, but somewhat inclined to believe it was true. If the allegation were that Towson sent him the email, I'd be inclined to believe it. But the facts do not add up. He has never been linked in any way to BC, BC is no longer recruiting QB's this year, and there are other guys (Stewart) that BC/UConn are head-to-head on that it would make a lot more sense for BC to be using these "tricks" with.

Nobody thinks that BC and its coaching staff are perfect or free from criticism. I think that they are generally less aggressive and underhanded than many other programs, but that is based more on the personalities of the staff.

I don't think any of the BC fans who have posted here are regular readers. I personally have never read anything DC wrote before today. However, someone shared the link with other BC fans, and we came here to take a look. Posting an unsubstantiated rumor on a website run by a respectable newspaper (rather than a fan site or rivals or scout) that alleges shady dealings by the BC staff and essentially threatens raising this with some ethics committee and forwarding it to other recruits is awe-inducingly irresponsible.

You all seem inclined to believe this, but why? No proof has been given, and we all know how easy it is to produce emails. No verification was given by any other party. The accused party was never contacted. All you have is an allegation by a recruit, which even a cursory review of the facts above makes seem unlikely, and DC's opinion that the kid is credible.

I don't think that coming on here and defending my alma mater rationally and coherently, and holding DC accountable for his lack of substantiation is a sign of arrogance at all.

Finally, ask yourself this: if BC were to allege that a Calhoun staffer was badmouthing Steve Donahue to get a commitment from a recruit along the lines of Eddie Odio (who? exactly), what would your reaction be? Probably something like "UConn was never interested in him, so why would they do that?" And you know what? You'd be right.

As I predicted Mr. Conner, you didn’t even have the simple courage to answer my question. So why not answer it Mr. Conner? Why, because it will expose you as a fraud of a journalist. It’s really sad. Like I said, you used to be someone I looked up to as a role model for a young black journalist wanting to make it in this business. Today you just look lazy foolish lackey taking side payments from Randy Edsall to make sure the coverage is all pro-UConn, pro-Randy. Just really sad to see. I thought the Courant was better than that.

Man, look what happens when defensive BC fans spend all day responding to this instead of working.

First, BC wasn't unethical for bolting to the ACC after promising they wouldn't. They were just weasely and liars. It's not like they signed anything, they just gave their word.

Second, if you'r enot worried about this story, why are you spending all day battling it? Methinks though doth protest too much. Just wait and see what happens. BC is way too big and powerful in the ACC to ahve to worry about UCONN in any way. Just like basketball, oh, wait....

I don't know if the skin color thing really matters. I don't think so. I mean BC fans have their ways but I'm not ready to go so far as to say race plays a part in some of their venom. I just can't do that.

Look they're knowledgeable people, for the most part (recruiting services didn't have him hahahaha... oh, sorry), passionate about their program. I respect that. But they don't know everything and the sooner they deal with that the better of they'll be.

One last thing. Remember just because Rivals or Scout doesn't have a school interested in a certain player doesn't mean that is it true. How many times have we seen players with no interest all of a sudden have a visit to a school. It happens all the time.

This is a very sad day for the Courant. The late, great Alan Greenberg would roll over in his grave if he saw the garbage that the editors let fly on this webite from Desmond.

The fact that Desmond has stayed on the site all day long and responded to every single post just shows his level of professionalism. However, my problem isn't soo much with Desmond, he's just a UConn fan and a BC hater who gets to write his very biased opinion. My problem is with the editors who let this crap fly.

Wake up Hartford Courant! What happened to integrity with your newspaper?

And this is what they do when they're defeated. Talk about you personally because that's all you know. Now you've been sittin on your... duff all day reading this stuff while you probably should have been working, get home, probably had a couple and now you've got up the courage to write something... and this is what you send?

What is exactly is your complaint here sir other than it's a sad day for the courant? Why is it a sad for the courant? because it uncovered a dirty recruiting tactic against your school?

yeah it is a sad day allright - for you because it was reported and not swept under the rug.

To be clear, I don't hate BC. I don't hate anyone. The only things I hate are broccoli, okra and cauliflower. I mean I truly hate those things. Let's have a discussion about veggies. that would be more meaningful to me right now than trying to decipher what this thing you sent in means.... a sad day. gimme a break.

BC USED TO BE THE BIG BOY IN NEW ENGLAND,UNTILL CALHOUN RAN THEM OFF TO THE ACC----------I HAD A FAMILY MEMBER PLAY FOR BC
WHEN THEYWERE INVESTIGATED FOR PLAYERS GAMBLING ON GAMES AND STEROID TRAFFICKING-THATS FIRST RATE?

You can't tell me that somebody in a position of power at the Courant is allowing Mr. Conner to make hateful, anti-gay statements like he did earlier in this thread at readers which he found disagreement with.

Mr. Conner has had his share of controversy in his career, and has been placed on leave in the past. Clearly, as evidenced by the rude, unprofessional manner in which he treated his readership today, he still has anger management issues.

If the Courant truly sees itself as a pillar that upholds the public trust, it must hold Mr. Conner accountable for his hateful, misogynistic actions today. Mr. Conner's behavior cannot be tolerated, unless the Courant also harbors similar prejudicial beliefs.

BC just wishes they were still in the Big East Conference. I think it's time to renew the rivalry with a never-ending home and home series. It's clear UConn is the better team; and the better school. And we clearly have the best football complex in the entire nation!

But that's just typical Boston; thinking they have the greatest city and the greatest teams -- well, that's far from true and people need to get off their bandwagon.

Hey DC, come camp time, UConn Football should be the front and center, above-fold story EVERY DAY in the sports page -- it's time to bump the Yankees and Red Sox to the back page -- sound like a plan!?!?! ...YA!

This kid is a very good dual threat quarterback which is exactly whatCoach Edsall and Coach Moorhead want in their system. Like someone said above, BC has their 2011 QB recruit but due to Nebrich's exceptional athletic ability and his experience at safety both his freshman and sophomore year it wouldn't surprise me at all that they want him to play a different position. Also, the reason BC isn't on his rivals and scouts acount is probably because if the kid doesn't hold an offer you can only put up 8 schools on their account so BC had to have been affiliated with him but just wasn't at the top of his list, especially since Suntrop committed there and he probably didn't wanna change positions.

Congradulations to the kid for becoming a Husky, stop laying it on a 17 year old kid for this story whether it is true or not. The kid is gonna be something special at UConn and hopefully they will have a matchup with BC in his future and all this will be settled!

To richardnix "what a load of crap". Hearsay is a lot different than an email trail. It boils down to a coach's lack of integrity. From what I've read in this column or blog over the last 2 years I have no reason to doubt DC's word. He appears to be a man of high integrity. A Syracuse grad working in a area with an up and coming football program nearby, and doing a great job I might add. I have been clamoring for more to read as the season slowly approaches. This was not what I expected. A firestorm, I was taken aback by the personal attacks on Mr. Connor. Granted the jock sniffing comments seemed kind of low brow but I guess it is a sports column and the gloves do come off. This must mean that the UC football program has really arrived if this kind of rhetoric shows up because of a midsummer article. Dez keep up the good work.

Yhose who pontificate about the high level of ethics of BC and how "they would never do that" need to look at their seperation from the BE. On friday they were agreeing to a committment to the BE and by saturday at noon they were joining ACC. Given they are a Catholic College yrt their administration lied to the other BE School... this situation fits their make-up

What is most telling in this story is that Edsall just said "no comment". He just refuses to engage in that stuff. Class! You see that Stewart? Class! When you surround yourself with people who do things the right way, you elevate yourself as a person, and then as an athlete!

But honestly Dez, is this really a big story. Coaches do that stuff all the time. Using the fact that Edsall is hot coach against him, with a kid who hasn't even signed papers, seems like a typical play to me. Classless or not.

Hey Des, great job as usual. I know more than a few BC alums that were devastated when BC took their program to the South. They don't belong there and just as our basketball team is leagues better than them, our football team is heading past them as well. I give props to the kid that brought the negative crap to light and it doesn't surprise me coming from Peanut Hill. BC football is really a thing of the past. They are not good and can never hope for more than the middle of the pack in the A C C. I'm glad they're gone actually, but they are no threat any longer. U CONN football is continuing to rise and will eventually have the success of the basketball program. Why would Randy leave such a lucrative position where the upside is tremendous and the facilities are absolutely awe striking to recruits. BC can suck it! You go DC!

You're football program is a joke. I mean what HC leaves to take a coordinator job in the NFL, especially a coach that was one loss away from playing in the Nat'l Championship game? If Coach Jags really thought BC was legit, he would have stayed. Success at BC as a Coach means nothing and every coach knows that. That's why Tom went to NC State and Jags jumped at the chance to escape. Meanwhile, Randy could have taken Ga Tech and was right behind Kelly at ND. So I think it's time for BC to realize, and I don't know why it hurts so much since your football program has sucked for a long time except for one fluke year with Ryan, that UConn has supplanted you as the Beast of the East.

Maybe a little jealousy by BC too that UConn was mentioned as a Big 10 candidate and they weren't. Let BC keep thinking their $h!+ don't stink. UConn just keeps climbing up the hill while BC just keeps falling down.

And for all the DC criticism, STFU! Half of you clowns out their rant about uncredible journalism. I was a journalism major so I know about credibility and what not. Dez got a tip from a legitimate source, investigated it, and felt he had enough proof to print it. Most of you clowns obviously don't know DC, but if you look back at comments from other blogs he posts, he always says it's better to be accurate than first.

These clowns need to get a clue. Uncredible journalism is when the NYT publishes an unnamed source for an article. That is one of most cowardly things a journalist can do. He's hiding behind someone, giving his word that it's true, and still the NYT is the top circulated paper in the nation. I don't see DC saying a anonymous recruit said a BC coach told him Randy wouldn't be there...

DC told you his source and you clowns refuted a 17-year who received the email as an unreliable source. However, somehow you clowns think an unnamed source from the NYT is credible? Know the profession if you're going to criticize the people that do it right jackasses.

You know what, BC is in such a tailspin that they're just jealous that more people know who DC is instead of BC.

BC didn't even offer this kid. Your vitriolic responses to this commentary show how unprofessional you are...and by "unprofessional" I mean "you write for the Hartford Courant, relax big guy." Even if this did happen, it's a complete non-story. Don't you have a gripping piece on underwater basketball/UCONN women's hoops to write?

Do you realize UCONN is 2-7 against the ACC since 2004?? Excluding Duke UCONN is 1-7 since 2004?? Consecutive losses against BC in 2002, 2003, 2004??...... Even in UCONN's Big East Championship year they were throttled by the ACC #6 Wake Forest at the Tire Bowl....

Having trouble understanding how JimCt (or any recruit for that matter) would think that an assistant coach at one school would have the clairvoyance to know where a coach at another school will be coaching in January.

If you want to see the bad side of recruiting, let's see how a recruit feels if his coach does leave and he wants a release that his chosen school will not give to him.

You're football program is a joke. I mean what HC leaves to take a coordinator job in the NFL, especially a coach that was one loss away from playing in the Nat'l Championship game? If Coach Jags really thought BC was legit, he would have stayed. Success at BC as a Coach means nothing and every coach knows that. That's why Tom went to NC State and Jags jumped at the chance to escape. Meanwhile, Randy could have taken Ga Tech and was right behind Kelly at ND. So I think it's time for BC to realize, and I don't know why it hurts so much since your football program has sucked for a long time except for one fluke year with Ryan, that UConn has supplanted you as the Beast of the East.

Maybe a little jealousy by BC too that UConn was mentioned as a Big 10 candidate and they weren't. Let BC keep thinking their $h!+ don't stink. UConn just keeps climbing up the hill while BC just keeps falling down.

And for all the DC criticism, STFU! Half of you clowns out their rant about uncredible journalism. I was a journalism major so I know about credibility and what not. Dez got a tip from a legitimate source, investigated it, and felt he had enough proof to print it. Most of you clowns obviously don't know DC, but if you look back at comments from other blogs he posts, he always says it's better to be accurate than first.

These clowns need to get a clue. Uncredible journalism is when the NYT publishes an unnamed source for an article. That is one of most cowardly things a journalist can do. He's hiding behind someone, giving his word that it's true, and still the NYT is the top circulated paper in the nation. I don't see DC saying a anonymous recruit said a BC coach told him Randy wouldn't be there...

DC told you his source and you clowns refuted a 17-year who received the email as an unreliable source. However, somehow you clowns think an unnamed source from the NYT is credible? Know the profession if you're going to criticize the people that do it right jackasses.

You know what, BC is in such a tailspin that they're just jealous that more people know who DC is instead of BC."

Entertaining. Firstly, how has UConn supplanted us as the "beast of the east" when 1) Penn State is considerably better than both schools. 2) West Virginia has won more conference championships than UConn and 3)UConn has never beaten Boston College in a football game. Perhaps there is a different measure of success that you use, like UConn has more land area so we can build a nice new fieldhouse and only worry about ticking off a few cows.

I would love to see how you can prove that I think that an unnamed source is credible. Glad that your journalism major also gave you the ability to mind read. Look, unnamed sources are that way to protect the asset from retribution. Do some reporters make them up, of course, that is what most stories which do not have a credible source are dismissed in my mind. We've yet to see an e-mail, we've yet to see the name of the coach and we've yet to be given a straight answer. It really isn't that hard.

So, BC is falling down the hill? I seem to remember that BC just received a $12 million a year boost in the newly revamped ESPN-ACC television deal. What was the Big East deal that was finalized over the summer and what does it mean to each Big East school?

Also, BC was three losses away from playing in the national championship game. I would have imagined that if you were a journalism major trying to validate one of your peers scriptings, you yourself would at least get your facts correct. Hopefully your education was free.

Hmm, and why would BC fans, or BC for that matter be concerned with an invite to the Big Ten? Boston College is not a Land Grant University, and while our styles of college football, basketball and hockey may be similar, our educational philosophies, with a few notable exceptions are entirely incorrect. Boston College chose to join a conference to ensure it's growth, both in revenue and in status, and a conference which has schools which are as highly regarded academically as they are. Go ahead, state that it is an elitist thing to say, but UConn, Rutgers and Louisville are not Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.

Bottom line is that we BC fans will let you say whatever you want to help you sleep at night. If taking shots at BC helps, fire away.

Doesn't surprise me. BC are hypocrates. They can spin anything and anyway they want. They are the arogant, wine sippers that are on welfare. They think they are sooooo great but they are nothing but an afterthought in their city and state. No one cares about them but themselves and they have the 2nd city mentality. They know NYC is better than Boston but they will argue until the cows come home it is not. Just like this. Dez, you tell it like it is and they can't believe their holier than thou, Catholic, pompousness with physco Dephilly would ever do anything wrong. All hail BC, Queens of the Pompousness.

There is only ONE issue we should be discussing here. JOURNALISM!!! It's simple. If the kid got an email, you ask who did you get it from. If the kid won't say, YOU CAN'T PRINT THE STORY!!!! You can't say, "I take the kid's word for it!" You have to CHECK IT OUT! I've been a journalist for 30 years, and my wife is a nationally-award winning investigative reporter. Her motto: "If your mother says she loves you, CHECK IT OUT!"

Read some of the post's here not all, I second your WOW Desmond, I got that. People need to take their shots at Connecticut football now because everyone knows what is coming, double digit wins for a while.

Instead of bickering online with BC fans, we would be better suited to locate some BC fans, preferably with their kids in tow, and hurl piss-bags while telling them that they can go "F" themselves. That's more the UCONN-way!

I guess "PhilBrodie" expressed in poetic terms why BC will never play UConn again. Every team has fans with no class, but after BC won the game, look what BC fans would have to look forward to. Thanks "PhilBrodie" for proving the point for every BC fan who complained about their treatment at Rentchler Field in 2003.

Now, Des, cut out the anti-BC garbage. It appears the likes of "PhilBrodie" appear within the UConn ranks. I'll take the folks who simply attacked your credibility over the "PhilBrodie"s of the world. Call me arrogant for saying so if you want to.

Bob try to let the anti-BC thing go. Don't you get tired of saying the same thing over and over and over and and over again in a 48-hour period? It's tired man. You're not going to tweak me that anymore. it isn't true. face the facts of what happened here and stop focusing on me. OK, Bob?

Dez came to Connecticut in 1991 and began covering high schools, then UConn football, the NFL, UConn basketball, Big East football, Big East basketball, national college football, national college basketball, the NBA. He has been a beat writer ... read more